not needed -> Lizard skins protective soft covers on the lower chain stays (both sides)
definitely not needed -> Custom fitted poly/rubber rock guards on the front of the down tube and the lower BB housing , rubber guards on the upper legs of the rear triangle
not needed -> Custom red hardware pieces I've added to enhance to the "wow effect" - I don't like non-interesting mechanical items - ( bling is the term the young'ins use)
not needed -> custom protective decals I installed on the crank arms to protect them from scratches and dings.
not needed -> clear decal overlays on high wear area's of the bike to avoid scuffing of the finish (I am absolutely a neat freak)
not needed -> Race Face red crank arm tip protectors

All that adds up. I don't understand all this extra "protection" I hear and have seen a few times. All of it is totally unnecessary and just adds weight.

This seems like a pretty reasonable weight to me. I see some RDOs posted up here and on blogs that seem a little too good to be true. Mine has a 120mm Reba RLTi on it, so I could shave some weight on the fork (I think herothedog said he saved almost a pound by going to a SID WC), but other than that there aren't a lot of places I could shave substantial weight.

I think sometimes people weigh their bikes without "real" tires or pedals or sealant, etc. Mine is a large and weighs just under 25 pounds fully dressed to ride the trail with trail tires, two scoops of Stans, pedals, bottle cage and computer mount.

I've seen a couple with very similar builds that were claiming weights in the 20 - 21 range, which I think might be a bit optimistic or maybe our scales are just different. I use a Feedback Sports digital gauge, which I've found to be pretty accurate.

Yeah, the SID WC took a pound off from the Reba XX, so that was a huge improvement but with a huge price tag. At 23lbs that is a race setup with tires that have extra protection. There are few place I could shed weight that wouldn't sacrifice on performance, I could switch to eggbeaters instead of candys, thinner tires would take 1/2 lbs off but then I wouldn't be able make it through most of the races I do...

A bit over 3# saved over my previous Jet 9 alloy with SRAM X7 and Stan's Arch wheels. It's not the weight savings that is the huge improvement. It's the significantly stiffer frame that gets the pedal stroke to the rear wheel more efficiently.

I agree. Those Specialized Captain's aren't particularly light. However, they'd probably only add about ~100-150g.

Just under 25 lbs is pretty good for a FS 29er. My RIP 9 is built pretty light and comes in around 26.7 lbs. If I were to swap frames to the Jet 9 RDO, the weight would probably be comparable to this bike.....but cost me $1k more.

I'm going to go out on a limb with you and agree that it seems heavy for the build... My Jet is an X.0 build w/Hope Race brakes (similar weight to XX), Crest/Hope wheels, and a Talus fork (likely the heaviest option). It weighed 24 pounds on the nose with crank bros. 4ti candy pedals.
So, yeah, if that one was nearly 25 pounds, it seems kinda weird to me.

I'm going to go out on a limb with you and agree that it seems heavy for the build... My Jet is an X.0 build w/Hope Race brakes (similar weight to XX), Crest/Hope wheels, and a Talus fork (likely the heaviest option). It weighed 24 pounds on the nose with crank bros. 4ti candy pedals.
So, yeah, if that one was nearly 25 pounds, it seems kinda weird to me.

That's surprising.
How much is your small frame Andrea138? My medium is 5.1 lb's.

* I know the Revelation is heavy, but I'm not sure just how heavy it is as I didn't get the scale until after I built it all up. Find me a lightweight, *black* SID/Reba 120mm fork, and I'll snatch it up.
* Elixir3s aren't all that light, but the cost of X0/XX or XT/XTR brakes doesn't seem to be worth what little weight would be saved.
* The tires aren't the lightest, but I would only save like 40 grams over Nobby Nic Evo snakeskin tires
* I already have Specialized S-works carbon cranks + Lightning spider + Extralite 22T & 32T rings on the way to shed a bit of weight and go to 2x10

* I know the Revelation is heavy, but I'm not sure just how heavy it is as I didn't get the scale until after I built it all up. Find me a lightweight, *black* SID/Reba 120mm fork, and I'll snatch it up.
* Elixir3s aren't all that light, but the cost of X0/XX or XT/XTR brakes doesn't seem to be worth what little weight would be saved.
* The tires aren't the lightest, but I would only save like 40 grams over Nobby Nic Evo snakeskin tires
* I already have Specialized S-works carbon cranks + Lightning spider + Extralite 22T & 32T rings on the way to shed a bit of weight and go to 2x10

I'm hoping the crankset will get me down to 26.5. Thoughts?

You didn't list some major weight contributors either.
Tubes - 29'er tubes run about 220g / each sealant would be 60-90g depending on how brave and how easily the tire seals + 10g per valve. At a minimum that's 120g / wheel to be saved

You didn't list some major weight contributors either.
Tubes - 29'er tubes run about 220g / each sealant would be 60-90g depending on how brave and how easily the tire seals + 10g per valve. At a minimum that's 120g / wheel to be saved

You're basically at a pound of savings from components you didn't even list. Riding an XL you might not feel comfortable with revolution spokes but I've never snapped one.

The tires you listed in 2.1" width are 760g
Nobby Nicks Performance 2.25" tires are cheaper (than EVO) and weigh in at 645g / tire

That's another 115g / tire

Sub total: 650g

That's pushing on a pound and half of rotating weight. I'd spend all my money there, for a difference you will actually (significantly) notice immediately rather than on a lighter fork, and crankset.

Have fun.

Oops, thanks. I guess I'm new enough to this lightweight thing that I don't think about the sum of all the smaller parts.

I'm running the tires tubeless, and they seal great, so I'm using the minimum amount of sealant. I haven't weighed these tires myself, but they're listed as 715g. I'm guessing that people are finding their real weight to be around 760g? Are the Performance tires durable? How much weight will I actually save if I have to use more sealant to seal the thinner sidewalls?

The spokes are Sapim Race which are listed as ~358g / set of 64. I'm over 200lbs geared up, so I don't think I can risk going with anything more lightweight than these rims and spokes. I've already had to get the rear re-trued once in the last couple of months.

Thanks for your advice. I'm just a bit nervous about sacrificing too much durability in my pursuit to lighten this thing up.

Oops, thanks. I guess I'm new enough to this lightweight thing that I don't think about the sum of all the smaller parts.

I'm running the tires tubeless, and they seal great, so I'm using the minimum amount of sealant. I haven't weighed these tires myself, but they're listed as 715g. I'm guessing that people are finding their real weight to be around 760g? Are the Performance tires durable? How much weight will I actually save if I have to use more sealant to seal the thinner sidewalls?

The spokes are Sapim Race which are listed as ~358g / set of 64. I'm over 200lbs geared up, so I don't think I can risk going with anything more lightweight than these rims and spokes. I've already had to get the rear re-trued once in the last couple of months.

Thanks for your advice. I'm just a bit nervous about sacrificing too much durability in my pursuit to lighten this thing up.

A set of 358g spokes will list at a length of 264mm in 292mm are close to 400g. But strong wheels are important.

I have about four sets of RR EVO's and one set of NN Performance, and I don't have many miles on them yet. I can tell you that they sealed WAAAY easier than the older RR's and as easily as my latest set of Ralphs. I believe that Schwalbe has reversed their original position on tubless as everyone ran them that way, and now they are constructing them to be more compatible with the sealant.

I sealed my 2.25" Performance NN's with about 40g / tire.

For durability though, people often say if you tear a sidewall on a rock the Schwalbes are thin walled. Shrug, like I said, I have five sets and they all (with varying tread remaining) still hold air.